The Celtics and Bruins are on historic runs to start their seasons
It was a rough summer for Boston sports. Starting with the Celtics losing the NBA Finals, followed by the Red Sox becoming unwatchable as early as July, the Bruins’ firing Bruce Cassidy, the Ime Udoka drama, the Patriots assistant coaching debacle and the franchise’s descent into mediocrity.
Then came the 2022-23 campaigns for the B’s and C’s, which have started just about as well as anyone could have imagined. The two teams are a combined 17-1 at TD Garden, giving Boston fans plenty to be excited about heading into the winter season.
Celtics
Jayson Tatum is making a strong early case (very early, but still) for league MVP. There’s been a noticeable improvement in his defense and his ability to coexist with Jaylen Brown. For the first few years of their careers together, it was a rarity to see the two superstars have great games on the same night. Now it’s a damn near regular occurrence, and that’s a scary sight for the rest of the NBA.
The bench scoring has improved. When he’s been healthy, Malcolm Brogdon has made it clear that last year’s Finals would have been a lot different if the Celtics had a viable scoring threat beyond their starting five.
Overall the team has won 14 of their last 15 on their way to an NBA-best 18-4. Anything less than a title at this point should be considered an underachievement.
Bruins
The Bruins are the undisputed best team in the NHL through their first 18 games. There were a lot of questions about this squad heading into the season, but after a 19-3-0 start the joke is on us. This team was ready to go from the moment the puck dropped in Washington DC on October 12th to begin what has been the best start in franchise history.
Their 13-0 start at TD Garden is the longest home winning streak to open a season in NHL history. Early criticisms of the Cassidy firing followed by the hiring of Jim Montgomery are now obsolete and Stanley Cup hopes have become not only realistic but expected.